Wednesday, 31 October 2018
2075 Courtenay Mansel
Constituency : Penryn and Falmouth 1923-4
Courtenay took Penryn and Falmouth from the Tories at the second attempt, helped by Labours withdrawal.
Courtenay was the son of a Welsh baronet. He succeeded his father in 1892 but had to surrender the title to his uncle in 1903 following research into the title. He legitimately succeeded his uncle in 1908. He was educated at Harrow. He became a barrister. In World War one he served in the Royal Flying Corps and became a captain. Courtenay was considered for a few Welsh seats although his aristocratic background made nonconformists suspicious of him. in 1918 he stood for Coventry as a Lloyd George supporter against the sitting Asquithian David Mason but the Tory was awarded the coupon and Courtenay came a poor third with Mason coming in fifth. In 1922 Courtenay was the Asquithian facing a National Liberal opponent, the former Truro MP George Morgan and came second in a four cornered contest with Morgan finishing bottom.
In 1924 Courtenay was defeated but would have easily held if Labour had not stood.
Courtenay was a traditional Gladstonian favouring Free Trade and retrenchment. Like Alfred Mond, he decided to leave the party over the controversial land reform policies in the Liberals' Green Book, declining a request to replace Mond as Liberal candidate in Carmarthen. Instead he stood for the Conservatives when Mond went to the Lords in 1928 but came third as the Liberals reclaimed the seat. In 1929 he stood for the University of Wales seat as a Tory but again came third.
Courtenay published two books of poetry.
He died in 1933 aged 54.
Tuesday, 30 October 2018
2074 William Morse
Constituency : Bridgwater 1923-4
William took Bridgwater from the Tories at the second attempt, helped by Labour's withdrawal.
William was the son of former Wilton MP, Levi Morse. He was educated at the High School, Swindon. He was a prominent businessman in the town and sometime president of the Swindon Chamber of Commerce. He was both a Swindon town councillor and Wiltshire county councillor. He was a prominent Primitive Methodist.
William asked a few parliamentary questions on local issues.
William was defeated by more than the Labour vote in 1924. In 1929 he stood in Weston-super-mare where he came second.
He died in 1952 aged 74.
Monday, 29 October 2018
2073 Frank Raffety
Constituency : Bath 1923-4
Frank took Bath from the Tories in a straight fight.
Frank was from Wycombe. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. He became a barrister. He was honorary secretary of the Social and political Education League and a member of the Eighty Club. In 1909 he published a book on taxation. In 1921 he contested Lewisham West in a by-election but came third behind the Tory and the Anti-Waste League candidate. In 1922 he became a Progressive councillor. In 1922 he contested Bristol West but was well beaten in a straight fight with the Tories.
In 1924, Frank was defeated by more than the Labour vote.In 1929 he came second at Cheltenham. In 1935, he came second at East Dorset.
Frank became chairman of the Industrial Co-Partnership Association and remained active in the party as a speaker.
He died in 1946 aged 71.
Sunday, 28 October 2018
2072 Vera Woodhouse
Constituency : Wycombe 1923-4
Vera took Wycombe from the Tories at the second attempt in a three-cornered contest. Vera campaigned on Free Trade against a chauvinistic Tory opponent.
Vera was the daughter of a druggist's assistant. In 1918 she married Baron Terrington and thus became Lady Terrington. She was Vice-president of the Buckinghamshire Lace Association.
Vera supported abolishing the means test for OAPs, preventing cruelty to animals and equal custody rights.
In 1924 Vera was defeated by more than the Labour vote.
In 1926 Vera was divorced.
Vera was active in the Women's Liberal Federation until 1949 when she emigrated to South Africa with her new husband. She later returned to Britain but not to public life.
She died in 1973 aged 84.
Saturday, 27 October 2018
2071 Innes Stranger
Constituency : Newbury 1923-4
Innes took Newbury from the Tories at the second attempt. In a straight fight he won by 41 votes.
Innes was educated privately and became a barrister.
Innes was on the left wing of the party. He voted to keep Labour in office in 1924.
Innes was defeated by more than the Labour vote in 1924.
Innes travelled in Africa and in 1930 had to make an emergency landing in the jungle. In 1936 he was made Recorder of Sunderland.
He died of a heart attack in 1936 aged 57.
Friday, 26 October 2018
2070 Ronald Williams
Constituency : Sevenoaks 1923-4
Ronald took Sevenoaks from the Tories, helped by Labour's withdrawal.
Ronald was from Kent. He was educated at Repton School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He joined the army and rose to the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery.
Ronald was soundly defeated in 1924 in another straight contest.
Ronald was a Wiltshire county councillor after the Second World War.
He died in 1971 aged 81.
Thursday, 25 October 2018
2069 John Dunn
Constituency : Hemel Hempstead 1923-4
John took Hemel Hempstead from the Tories by 17 votes in a straight fight.
John was from Basingstoke and educated at St Mary's School there. He went into finance as both a bank director and a stockbroker. He also qualified as a barrister.
In his only parliamentary speech, John called for a reduction in the stamp duty on cheques to encourage the opening of more bank accounts.
In 1924, John was defeated by more than the Labour vote. In 1928 he stood in the Faversham by-election and came third. In 1929, he stood in Chichester but was well beaten in a straight fight with the Tories.
John was active in the Royal Commercial Travellers Schools set up to benefit children of salesmen who met with untimely ends.
He died in 1954 aged 80.
Wednesday, 24 October 2018
2068 Charles Rudkin
Constituency : Chichester 1923-4
Charles took Chichester from the Tories in a straight fight.
Charles was a major's son from County Louth in Ireland. He joined the army and fought in the Boer War commanding an artillery brigade. He commanded the Royal Artillery Reserve at George V's coronation. He became a barrister in 1912. He served in Europe during World War One, being wounded twice and winning the D.S.O. He retired with the rank of Brgadier-General.
Charles was defeated by a much wider margin than the Labour vote in 1924. In 1929 he contested Portsmouth South but came fourth.
Charles was a keen world traveller and was particularly interested in studying farming practices elsewhere.
He died in Rhodesia in 1957 aged 85.
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
2067 Sydney Robinson
Constituency : Chelmsford 1923-4
Sydney took Chelmsford from the Tories at the second attempt in a straight fight.
Sydney was born in Essex and educated in Walthamstow and at Metropolitan College, Chicago. He worked as a building contractor but also farmed in Chelmsford breeding shorthorn dairy cattle. He was an Essex county councillor. He contested Essex South East in 1918 but lost his deposit. In 1922, he came second in Chelmsford.
Sydney introduced a bill to include farm workers in the National Insurance scheme.
In 1924 Sydney lost by more than the Labour vote but Labour prevented him from re-taking it in a by-election in 1926 and in 1929. In 1931, he switched to Walthamstow West but came a distant third. In 1945, he stood in Epping but again trailed a long way behind in third place.
He died in 1950 aged 74.
Monday, 22 October 2018
2066 Reginald Fletcher
Constituency : Basingstoke 1923-4, Nuneaton 1939-42 ( Labour )
Reginald took Basingstoke from the Tories at the second attempt, helped by Labour's withdrawal.
Reginald was from Sussex. He served in World War One as a Royal Navy officer reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Commander.
Reginald was defeated by more than the labour vote in 1924.
In 1929 Reginald switched to Labour . He was elected for Nuneaton in 1935. In 1942 he was created Baron Winster. In 1945 Attlee appointed him Minister of Civil Aviation. He held the post for a year until appointed Governor of Cyprus. he served there until 1949.
He died in 1961 aged 76.
Sunday, 21 October 2018
2065 Thomas Keens
Constituency : Aylesbury 1923-24
Thomas took Aylesbury from the Tories at the second attempt by just 71 votes despite Labour's intervention.
Thomas was born in Luton. He was educated privately and became an accountant. He worked for the Official Receiver before going into a partnership in London. He became a Bedfordshire county councillor in 1901 serving until the 1950s. He was a Congregationalist. He came close to unseating Lionel Rothschild in 1922.
Thomas was defeated in 1924 by more than the Labour vote but Labour stopped him re-taking it in 1929.
In 1931 Thomas switched to the Liberal Nationals and stood as the government candidate at Pontypool but he was unable to dislodge the Labour MP.
Thomas was knighted in 1934.
He died in 1953 aged 83.
Saturday, 20 October 2018
2064 Edward Lessing
Constituency : Abingdon 1923-4
Edward took Abingdon from the Tories at the second attempt in a straight fight.
Edward was the nephew of the last Liberal MP for Abingdon, Edward Strauss. He was educated at Marlborough and Oxford. He became a barrister but spent most of his career in business as a grain merchant. He served in World War One as a captain in the Grenadier Guards then was part of the military mission to Russia. He was captured by the Bolsheviks in the attack on the British embassy in 1918. He received an OBE in 1918. He came close to taking the seat in 1922.
Edward led the Liberal opposition to the proposed loan to Soviet Russia and the Anglo-Soviet treaty.
In 1924, Edward was defeated by more than the Labour vote but Labour's presence probably stopped him recapturing the seat in 1929.
Edward served as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Pay Corps from 1939 to 1942. From 1945 to 1947 he worked as an interpreter in the Civil Service. He held a number of important positions in trade organisations.
He died in 1964 aged 74.
Friday, 19 October 2018
2063 Roderick Kedward
Constituency : Bermondsey West 1923-4. Ashford 1929-31
Roderick took Bermondsey West from Labour at the second attempt in a straight fight. labour accused his Mission of distributing Christmas turkeys to win votes.
Roderick was a farmer's son from Kent. He became a Wesleyan minister in Hull and acquired the nickname "the fighting parson" after an incident with a wifebeater. He later moved to Bermondsey. He served in Egypt and France during World War One until he was invalided out in 1916 with "trench fever". In 1918 he stood in Hull Central but was trashed by the couponed Conservative. In 1922 he stood for Bermondsey West, a Liberal-held seat but it was taken by Labour due to the presence of a National Liberal candidate.
In 1924, Roderick lost to Labour in a straight fight.
In 1929, Roderick achieved a stunning victory at Ashford in Kent, winning a three-cornered contest after a vigorous campaign against tithe-paying.
Roderick switched to the Liberal Nationals in 1931 but the local Conservatives could not bring themselves to support a radical nonconformist. He was one of the few Liberal Nationals to face a Tory opponent and was defeated despite Labour's withdrawal. By 1933, Roderick was back in the main Liberal fold and stood at a by-election in Ashford that year coming second in a three-cornered contest.
Roderick carried on his fight against tithes and became President of the National Tithe-payers Association in 1932.
He died from a duodenal ulcer in 1937 aged 55.
Thursday, 18 October 2018
2062 Ernest Spero
Constituency : Stoke Newington 1923-24, Fulham West 1929-30 ( Labour )
Ernest took Stoke Newington from the Tories. He had Labour support and campaigned hard for ex-servicemen's votes.
Ernest was the son of a Russian Jew who was a dentist in Dover. He trained in medicine at the London Hospital and became a surgeon in the Royal Navy, serving during World War One. He stood for Leicester West in 1922 coming third behind Labour and the former NDP man Joseph Green.
Ernest voted with Labour over the Campbell case.
In 1924 Ernest was defeated by more than the Labour vote. in 1925 he joined Labour himself. In 1929 he was successful at Fulham West.
Ernest had been dabbling in business, manufacturing radio sets and sold the business in 1929. It had debts which he guaranteed but he was unable to fulfil the promise and used unauthorised company cheques. In 1930, he resigned his seat , claiming ill health and fled to the United States before the case came to court. He was declared bankrupt in his absence.
Ernest changed his name to Spears, became a naturalised citizen and worked as an opthalmologist.
He died in 1960 aged 65.
Wednesday, 17 October 2018
2061 Frederick Laverack
Constituency : Brixton 1923-4
Frederick took Brixton from the Tories at the second attempt in a straight fight.
Frederick was a grocer's son from Leeds. He was educated in Yorkshire and became a Congregationalist minister. From 1916 he started working for charities concerned with the blind as a seaker and fundraiser. He was also a temperance campaigner. In 1921 he joined the Anti-Waste League and was slated to fight St Pancras North for them. When the AWL decided to throw in their lot with the Tories, Frederick joined the Liberals. In 1922 he came fairly close in a straight fight.
In 1924 Labour contested the seat and Frederick was pushed into a distant third place. In 1927 he fought the seat again in a by-election and while he increased his vote he remained in third place.
He died in 1928 from heart disease aged 56.
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
2060 Arthur Carr
Constituency : Islington East 1923-24
Arthur took Islington East from the Tories in a three cornered contest.
Arthur was a dramatist's son. He was educated at Winchester and Oxford and became a barrister. He specialised in local taxation. In 1912 he helped Lloyd George draft the national insurance legislation and joined the land inquiry committee in 1912. In the First World War he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve then worked for the Ministry of Munitions. He sat on the land acquisition committee in 1917. In the last months he enlisted as a private but remained in England. Despite his links with Lloyd George he stood as an Asquithian in St Pancras West in 1918 and 1922 coming second to the Tories in three-cornered contests. He was a defending barrister in Horatio Bottomley's libel case and his cross-examination of Bottomley helped secure the latter's downfall.
In 1924, Arthur was pushed into third place as the Tories recaptured the seat. In 1928, he stood in a by-election at Ilford moving the Liberals from third to second behind the Tories.In 1929 he stood again and reduced the majority. On both occasions he would easily have won had Labour withdrawn.
In 1930, Arthur published Escape from the Dole, advocating a public works programme.
In 1931, Arthur stood against Churchill at Epping and came a distant second. In 1935, he came a poor third in Nottingham East. In 1936 he was elected to the Liberal Party Council.
In 1945 he came a respectable third at Shrewsbury. He stood for the City of London in a by-election later that year but lost in a straight fight with the Tories.
Arthur was involved in the prosecution of German and Japanese war criminals. He was knighted in 1949. He was chairman of the Foreign Compensation Commission from 1950 to 1958 then became President of the Liberal Party for a year.
He died in 1965 aged 82.
Monday, 15 October 2018
2059 Leonard Franklin
Constituency : Hackney Central 1923-4
Leonard took Hackney Central from the Tories at the second attempt in a three-cornered contest.
Leonard was the son of a Jewish banker and was related to Edwin Montagu and Herbert Samuel. He was educated at King's College School, London and in Brussels. He became a barrister but never practised, going into banking instead. He stood in Paddington North in December 1910. In 1912 he and his wife founded the Jewish League for Women' Suffrage.In the First World War he worked with Belgian refugees then reported on the finances of British military hospitals. In 1918 he stood in Paddington North again as the Asquithian candidate coming fourth with just 10% of the vote. In 1922 he contested St Pancras South East and came third. He was a strong supporter of proportional representation and in 1922 published the book Percentage Proportional Representation.
In 1924 Leonard was pushed into third place. He remained there in 1929 as the seat switched from Tory to Labour although he got over 30% of the vote. In 1931 this dropped to under 20%.
In 1932, Leonard was knighted. He was active in various Jewish organisations.
He died in 1944 aged 82.
Sunday, 14 October 2018
2058 John Harris
Constituency : Hackney North 1923-4
John took Hackney North from the Tories in a straight fight.
John was a plumber's son.He was educated at King Alfred's School, Wantage. He worked in a clothes shop in London then intended to be a Protestant missionary in Central Africa. Shocked by what he saw in the Congo, he became an ardent campaigner against colonial exploitation. producing many tracts for the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society. He was also active in the League of Nations Union. He was a Baptist.He stood for the Asquithians against Thomas McNamara at Camberwell North in 1922 but came third.
John was active during his brief parliamentary career, raising many imperial issues.
In 1924 John was defeated when Labour stood a candidate. He stood again in 1929 but came third in a tight contest. He stood for Westbury in 1931 where he came second to the Tory.
John was knighted in 1933 probably at the instigation of his friend John Simon. He continued speaking out against oppression but his vision of benevolent colonialism was becoming outdated.
He died from a stroke in 1940 aged 65.
Saturday, 13 October 2018
2057 Thomas Robertson
Constituency : Finchley 1923-4
Thomas took Finchley from the Tories at the second attempt in a straight fight.
Thomas was born in Dunkeld and educated privately. He became a fine arts publisher and travelled all over the world in connection with that trade. He was a staunch Presbyterian.Though based in London, he maintained a home in Scotland. He contested Hammersmith South in 1918 when he was beaten by a couponed Conservative. He trailed by 1,443 votes at Finchley in 1922. In 1923 he became President of the English League for the Taxation of Land Values.
Thomas's only parliamentary contribution was a plea for a contributory pensions scheme for nurses.
Thomas was soundly defeated in a straight fight in 1924. Labour's intervention stopped him recapturing it in 1929. In 1931, he contested Kinross and West Perthshire but didn't get close in a straight fight. In 1935 he returned to Finchley but came a very distant second. His last electoral contest was at Aylesbury in a by-election in 1938 when he came second in a three-cornered contest.
Thomas was active in a number of orgnisations catering for Scottish ex-pats in London.
He died in 1955 aged 81.
Friday, 12 October 2018
2056 Henry Hogbin
Constituency : Battersea North 1923-24
Henry took Battersea North from the Communist Shapurji Saklatvala at the second attempt. He had the support of the local Conservatives in a rowdy campaign in which he had to contact the police about disruption of his meetings..
Henry was the son of a schoolmaster. He was educated privately and was a fertiliser manufacturer. He worked for the Ministry of Food during World War One. He was selected for the National Liberals in 1922 to succeed Richard Morris but lost to the Communist by more votes than the Asquithian spoiler.
Henry voted to keep Baldwin in in 1924 and generally sided with the Tories , mindful of the position in his constituency.
In 1924, Henry stood as a Constitutionalist. The campaign was again marred by violence and Henry was injured by a stone thrown into his car. He was defeated by the Communist by 542 votes.
In 1926 Henry decided to join the Conservatives following a Liberal Land Conference. He wrote to Asquith saying he no longer felt the party was an effective challenger to "the pernicious doctrine" of socialism. I 1927 he was selected by the Tories to fight Stourbridge in a by-election but failed to hold the seat against Labour.
Henry was a keen golfer and founded the Magistrates' Golfing Society in 1938.
He died in 1966 aged 85.
Thursday, 11 October 2018
2055 Frederick Loverseed
Constituency : Sudbury 1923-4
Frederick took Sudbury from the Tories in a straight fight after a split Liberal vote had let them in in 1922.
Frederick was the son of a Nottingham building contractor. He was educated at Southwell Grammar School and Gosberton Hall. He started out as a farmer but also served as a captain in the Suffolk Officer Training Corps and served on local military tribunals in World War One. He acted as agent to the local MPs Richard Winfrey and Stephen Howard. He was both a town and county councillor and Mayor of Sudbury in 1921-23. He was a Wesleyan Methodist.
Frederick was defeated in a straight fight in 1924.
Frederick held a number of educational appointments in the region.
Frederick died in 1928 aged 46. His son John was briefly an MP for the Common Wealth Party.
2054 Hugh Seely
Constituency : Norfolk East 1923-4, Berwick-upon-Tweed 1935-41
Hugh took Norfolk East from the Tories at the second attempt in a three-cornered contest.
Hugh was a member of the Seely political dynasty. He was educated at Eton and became a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards. He was also a pilot.
Hugh's maiden speech called for a minimum wage for agricultural labourers.
Hugh was defeated in 1924 as the Tories re-took the seat. He inherited his father's baronetcy in 1926.
Hugh returned to Parliament in 1935 when he narrowly won Berwick-upon-Tweed against the trend in a straight fight with the Tories. In 1938 he attacked the National Government over the slow production rate of Hurricane fighters.
In 1941 Hugh was created Baron Sherwood and relinquished his seat.
Hugh was Joint Under Secretary of State for Air from 1941-5. In 1946 he purchased the Purdey gunmaking business.
He died in 1970 aged 71.
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
2053 Graham Woodwark
Constituency : King's Lynn 1923-4
Graham took King's Lynn from the Tories at the second attempt in a three-cornered contest.
Graham was educated at King Edward VII Grammar School. He served in World War One and was wounded at the Somme.He was subsequently part of the British War Mission in America. He was a town councillor in King's Lynn and held a number of public appointments. He was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Territorials. He received a CBE in 1920. In 1922 he came third in a tight contest.
In 1924, Graham was pushed into second as the Tories re-took the seat. He was Mayor of King's Lynn in 1926 and 1932. In 1931 he supported the Conservative candidate in the election and did so again in 1935 even with a Liberal candidate in the field.
Graham was a keen dog breeder, known for wire fox terriers. He competed at Cruft's.
He died in 1938 aged 64.
Monday, 8 October 2018
2052 Henry Mond
Constituency : Isle of Ely 1923-4, Liverpool East Toxteth 1929-30 ( Conservative )
Henry took the Isle of Ely seat from the Tories in a three-cornered contest.
Henry was the eldest son of Alfred Mond. He was educated at Winchester and raised as a Christian. He served in World War One and was wounded. He followed his father into business becoming a director of ICI, Mond Nickel and Barclays Bank.
Henry was defeated in 1924 although the Labour vote would have easily seen him home. He followed his father into the Conservative party and was elected for Liverpool East Toxteth in 1929, He succeeded to his father's barony and became Baron Melchett in 1930.
Henry then eschewed active politics and concentrated on business and writing. He also became an ardent Zionist, reverting to Judaism.
Henry was the subject of scandalised gossip when he lived with his future wife Amy Wilson and her future lover before getting married. Henry had a brass sculpture made to commemorate this period, complete with shocked harridans and displayed it prominently in their home. In World War Two his home was used for nursing and housing Jewish refugees
Henry started to suffer from ill health after the war and the couple relocated to Florida in 1947. He died there in 1950 aged 51.
Sunday, 7 October 2018
2051 Leonard Costello
Constituency : Huntingdonshire 1923-4
Leonard took Huntingdonshire from the Tories in a straight fight.
Leonard was educated at Dulwich College and Cambridge. He became a barrister. He contested Westminster Strand in January 1910. He served in World War One between 1916 and 1918 reaching the rank of captain. In 1918 and 1922, he contested Exeter as an Asquithian.
Many of Leonard's parliamentary contributions were on mental health issues.
In 1924, the Tory reclaimed the seat in a straight fight. Two years later, Leonard went to India as a high court judge serving until 1940. He was involved in a high profile inheritance case and was criticised for a remark he made about the suitability of native juries. He was knighted in 1935
In 1940, Leonard returned to England and settled in Devon. He became a magistrate there and held a number of public appointments. He sat on a National Service Act Appeals Tribunal .He was involved in a number of charities- wounded servicemen, animal cruelty and hospitals- throughout his life. He remained a loyal Liberal.
Leonard died in 1972 aged 91.
Saturday, 6 October 2018
2050 William Robinson
Constituency : Stoke-on-Trent Burslem 1923-4
William took Burslem from Labour in a straight fight.
William was a local pottery merchant. He was a local councillor and was Mayor between 1918 and 1921.He was interested in transport and housing. He was a Methodist.
Mindful of Unionist support in his constituency, William voted to keep Baldwin's government in in 1924 and voted with the Tories twice more during the Parliament.
William stood down in 1924.
William died in 1927 aged 63.
Friday, 5 October 2018
2049 Joseph Sunlight
Constituency : Shrewsbury 1923-4
Joseph took Shrewsbury from the Tories at the second attempt in a straight contest.
Joseph was originally Josef Schimslavitch from Novgorod. His father was a Jewish cotton merchant who came to England in 1890 to avoid conscription. They anglicised their surname. Joseph enjoyed recounting his family's adventures in Tsarist Russia but their veracity is questionable. He started out as an architect's apprentice but soon had his own practice in Manchester. He was responsible for much of the expansion of Prestwich. In 1913, he built the South Manchester Synagogue. He came fairly close in 1922 in a straight contest
Joseph introduced a brick standardisation bill in 1924. Most of his parliamentary questions related to the building trade.
Joseph was defeated in 1924, the Tory's margin of victory being much greater than the Labour vote. In 1929, Labour's presence probably did deny him victory.
In 1932, Joseph built Sunlight House in Manchester. After the war his plans for a huge skyscraper adjacent to it were rejected by the city council.
Joseph was keen on horse racing and champagne parties. He befriended film stars such as Douglas Fairbanks and Gertrude Lawrence.
He died in 1978 aged 89.
Thursday, 4 October 2018
2048 Ernest Brown
Constituency : Rugby 1923-4, Leith 1927-45 ( from 1931 Liberal National )
Ernest took Rugby from the Tories, helped by Labour's withdrawal.
Ernest was the son of a fisherman from Devon. He became a Baptist lay preacher. His expertise in public speaking made him valuable to the Liberal party.He served in World War One and won the Military Cross.
In 1924 Ernest was defeated , coming second in a three cornered contest. In 1927 he stood at Leith at a by-election caused by the defection of Wedgwood Benn and scraped home in a three cornered contest.
In 1929 Ernest had an easy win in a straight fight with Labour. Ernest became a follower of Simon and resigned the Liberal whip alongside him in 1930. He gave public support to Simon's call for an emergency tariff. He had another easy victory over Labour as a Liberal National in 1931. He then became a junior minister at the Department of Health. When the official Liberals left the government in 1932 he became Secretary for Mines. When Baldwin took over in 1935 he joined the Cabinet as Minister of Labour. In his five year tenure he extended unemployment insurance to agricultural workers, created the National Joint Advisory Committee and fostered a distributors' union.
In 1940 Churchill took over and made him Secretary of State for Scotland despite him being English. He also became leader of the Liberal Nationals as Simon went to the Lords. He initiated talks with Sinclair about reunion but would not rule out supporting the "National" government after the war. Churchill had a negative view of the Liberal Nationals and dropped Ernest from the Cabinet in his brief post-war administration. He was demoted to Minister of Aircraft Production.
In 1945, Ernest was swept away by Labour in Leith and thereafter devoted most of his time to the church. He toured parts of the Commonwealth.
Ernest was noted for talking very fast and very loud.
He died in 1962 aged 80.
Wednesday, 3 October 2018
2047 Herbert Willison
Constituency : Nuneaton 1923-24
Herbert took Nuneaton from the Tories. He took the seat from the Tory barrister Henry Maddocks, with whom he had a longstanding professional relationship, in a three-cornered contest..
Herbert was a solicitor who practised in Birmingham and had a strong reputation as a civil lawyer. In 1922, he came third in Birmingham Deritend.
In 1924, Herbert was pushed into third in a tight contest as the Tories won the seat. In 1929, he climbed up to second as Labour took the seat. In 1931, he stood as a Liberal National but the Tories would't make way for him and took the seat with Herbert finishing a poor third.
In the thirties, Herbert vacillated between the Liberal Nationals and the official party attending meetings of both the National Liberal Federation and the Liberal National Council.
He died in 1943, aged 71.
Tuesday, 2 October 2018
2046 Norman Birkett
Constituency : Nottingham East 1923-4, 1929-31
Norman took Nottingham East from the Tories in a straight fight.
Norman was a draper's son from Ulverston. He was educated at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School. He started working for his father then started training as a Methodist minister. He then went to Cambridge and there decided to give up the ministry and become a barrister. His practice was in Birmingham. He was declared medically unfit to serve in World War One due to tuberculosis.George Cadbury drew him into Liberal politics. In 1918, he stood for Birmingham King's Norton but came a poor third as a couponed Tory won the seat.
Norman's maiden speech called for an extenion of pension provision beyond what the Labour man was proposing.
Norman was defeated in 1924 due to a Communist candidate drawing enough votes away from him. In 1929, he re-took the seat despite the presence of a Labour candidate. McDonald tried to entice him away from the Liberals with the offer of Solicitor-General but unlike William Jowett he declined saying he wouldn't join Labour even if the Liberals completely collapsed. He helped demolish Labour's Trades Disputes Bill in 1931. Norman declined a junior ministerial post in 1931. The Conservatives opposed him in the election and took the seat with Norman coming second. He declined to be a Liberal National candidate for North Cornwall in 1932 despite a very good chance of victory.
Thereafter Norman concentrated on his legal career. He was involved in some very high profile murder cases in the thirties. In the early years of World War Two, he was involved in the detention of enemy agents and wartime propaganda, countering the radio broadcasts of Lord Haw-Haw. In 1941 he was knighted and became a High Court judge having declined the honour in 1928. In 1945 he was appointed the alternate British judge at the Nuremburg Trials. In 1950 he became an Appeal Court judge but didn't enjoy the work, retiring in 1956.
In 1957, Norman was created Baron Birkett.
Norman was a highly gifted speaker, complimented by the likes of Churchill. In the late fifties he did some work for the BBC. He was a Methodist lay preacher all his adult life.
In one of Norman's last contributions in the Lords, he helped to stop Ullswter from becoming a reservoir.
He died in 1962 following a failed operation for a burst blood vessel. He was 78.
Monday, 1 October 2018
2045 John Black
Constituency : Harborough 1923-4
John took Harborough at the second attempt, helped by Labour's withdrawal.
John was the son of a prosperous London draper. He was educated at Bishop's Stortford college in Essex. He was an Evangelical Christian and temperance supporter. He was a shoe manufacturer but also had interest in an estate agency. He was chairman of the Harborough Divsional Liberal Association and became involved in a dispute with Percy Harris over how much the latter could contribute to constituency funds if he wished to remain parliamentary candidate. Harris found another constituency after 1918 and John took his place. He was a Leicestershire county councillor. He came second in a three cornered contest in 1922.
John asked a lot of questions during his short spell as an MP.
Labour stood again in 1924 and John was pushed into third place.
John was involved in charitable work for the blind. He stopped funding the local Liberal association in the mid-twenties which had a severe effect on their operations.
He died in 1951 aged 88.
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